Tiny apartment renovated to function as a mini-gallery

Small living spaces are a growing trend in North America, but they're a necessity in many of the world's cosmopolitan (but cramped) cities, from Paris to Madrid and beyond. Hong Kong, which is home to some of the world's most expensive real estate, is yet another place where many residents have to make do with very little space, but that's prompted designers to tackle them head-on, with some small apartments that robotically transform, to spaces that utilize multifunctional furniture.

Local firm Sim-plex (previously) renovated this 324-square-foot public housing apartment unit, which doubles as a personal gallery for a client who collects ceramic and sculptural artwork.

In our conversations with the client, he is keen on bringing friends to the apartment to show off his artwork, and this inspired us in our design concept: a gallery within a tiny apartment.

This new plan took some creativity to execute, as in addition to the client himself, the apartment -- which originally had only one bedroom -- now had to accommodate two other members of the family. To do so, a raised platform at the far end of the apartment was added, and a desk and an extra sleeping space added, behind a louvered screen.

To create that gallery element, new cabinetry was made, which features a series of back-lit slots and openings, perfect for displaying precious items. That's in addition to the variety of closed storage cabinets that are placed throughout the design -- some of them located in the floor of the curved platform. One of the cabinets hides a dining table, which can be folded down when not used. Notice that there's even a piano in here.

As we can see in this instance, living in a small space doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of everything; it might mean selecting and cherishing our most precious possessions. In that sense, a small does not have to mean deprivation -- it can instead become a container or a showcase for these more tangible bits of our personality. For more, visit Sim-plex.